Chagora
Chagora.com is a prototype only. Please send us an email at info@chagora.com if you would like to learn about the launch.
RedCross, 10 contributions - ($14.56)...     Cancer Society, 5 contributions - ($5.50)...     ASPCA, 8 contributions - ($14.35)...     Heart Association, 7 contributions - ($7.75)...     San Francisco Sinfonietta, 4 contributions - ($6.71)...     Campaign for SB 1234, 5 contributions - ($18.00)...     2010 Re-Election Fund, 2 contributions - ($0.75)...     Ballot Access Fund, 1 contributions - ($0.37)...     LiveDebate CA-Oct-SEN-FUND, 3 contributions - ($8.25)...     
The National Page contains a selection of ideas, opinions and comments drawn from the Neighborhood soapboxes. This is to provide a broader audience and an impartial exposure for voices often now neglected. Your comments and participation are encouraged. You may comment on the pieces of others wherever they appear by providing just an email address and Online ID and you may submit original pieces from your own neighborhood page with an identified account whether funded or not. A citizens ideas and opinions are a vital element for sustainable self-government. The selection process for the national page will be a challenging task with a clear goal of political openness and neutrality but will NOT be in any way related to financial contribution!

The crawl is a real-time display of contributions… Here we have it showing for all recipients (charitable AND political) but in a larger implementation this could be broken down by category or other criteria. This data capability is also central to The Chagora Live Debate Function

This Site is for Demonstration ONLY

(While this site is fully practical with credit card gateway, associated bank accounts, etc., the current credit crisis resulted in a loss of anticipated funding for administration at launch and a need for investment before reliable and secure administration allows release to the general public.)

Please try a “test” account… no real money or credit card needed! Open an account and you will be credited with $50 in play money… Try a few MicroDonations, see the real-time feedback, check your account page where you can track your contributions broken down between charitable (tax deductible) and political (non tax deductible). Similar account pages are also available for recipients and available for viewing.

The Chagora Mechanism:

  • Individually-Controlled/Commons-Dedicated Account useful for BOTH Charity and Political Contribution in ALL legal amounts.

  • Individual funds account with minimum of $10 but there need be no lower limit on the individual's disbursements.

  • Chagora pays transaction fees with account deposits, MicroDonations are aggregated and recipient reimburses Chagora for a transaction fee equivalent to the fee for a similar contribution. Chagora is Transaction Neutral! (In other words, there is NO additional cost to Donors or Recipients for transaction via Chagora)

  • For political contribution Chagora automates legal reporting requirements for FEC and/or other entities.

The Chagora Assumptions:

  • Political MicroDonation, especially networked, has unrecognized potential as a tool for interest groups in fundraising whether for lobbying, general organizing or other purposes. It's potential in lobbying especially will catalyze a feedback loop expanding both general political participation and the use of this platform.

  • Political MicroDonation is also very attractive and useful in candidate selection and giving the citizen opportunity for issue by issue response in debate situations via the LiveDebate function.

  • Political MicroDonation, by being combined with a similar capability for Charity and by being useful for ALL contribution in legal amounts (not only micro) creates a flocking tendency which vastly expands the base participating in contribution and Chagora.

  • And leads to Chagora as a natural destination for ALL donors and recipients, even the completely apolitical… because of the advantages of unified reporting and accounting, corporate/charity sponsorships and benefits, feedback capability, selection and localization.

Will Political MicroDonation Matter?

The hot debate now is in healthcare and industry lobbyists are giving it their all… $35 million in the latest quarter…

Just 10 % of the electorate giving 25 cents a week for that period is $30 million… could it happen?

While Chagora may be too late for this debate… it WILL! And politics will never be the same…

The Dream?

Millions of people who finally realize that they can take back their public square once they have the ability to speak in a way that really works for them. And when will that happen? When YOU can give a quarter to a politician or cause easily and legally… and do it with others through a non-partisan and neutral vehicle, when it is no longer a rare event because it takes so little, when they know YOU are listening more often than just once every four years. and want to speak on many issues. Then YOU will have your public square back where it belongs… in YOUR HANDS! Because YOU are MILLIONS.

Chagora enables an essential capability of "SPEECH" which you didn't know you'd lost… or even needed!.
Chagora is the Power of Small Money, Large Numbers and Immediate Feedback!
Chagora facilitates neighborhood "ASSOCIATION" which is no longer as easy as it was when our Republic was young!
Chagora

About Chagora

The relationship between money and speech in the public square may be regrettable but the truth of it can't be denied. Hence "Money/Speech" must NOT be hindered.Therefore: CHAGORA!

What is CHAGORA?

With Chagora the common man/woman can easily and securely contribute as little as 25 cents to the candidate, cause, or charity of his/her choice any time of day or night, by themselves…or in combination with others.

Chagora is the other side of Campaign Finance Reform! It enables the rebalancing of the Public Square by bringing YOUR VOICE to the conversation.

Chagora will also be implementing mechanisms to safely and securely facilitate your ability to connect with others not only by interest, but ALSO according to electoral and geographic boundaries.

Chagora is working to bring you back to the Public Square! By reestablishing it's essentials online:

Meaningful methods of conveying opinion AND motivation between citizens and leaders.

Meaningful methods for localized association in line with the geographic nature of representation.

How does Chagora work?

Does it cost me anything?

Why should I use Chagora?

What about my personal information?

How Does Chagora Pay for Itself?

What is the "Chagora Concept" and why is it so important?

How do I know Chagora is truly fair and non-partisan?

Why should I trust Chagora?